Jakarta, July 7 -- Speaker of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR) Puan Maharani highlighted the longstanding historical relationship between Indonesia and India while hosting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Parliament Complex.

"Indonesia and India share very long and special historical roots," she said in Jakarta on Tuesday as she opened her remarks before the Indian leader.

Puan said the bilateral relationship is closely linked to the participation of Soekarno, her grandfather and Indonesia's first president, as a guest of honor at India's first Republic Day celebration in 1950.

She noted that Indonesia and India later co-initiated the Asian-African Conference in Bandung, West Java, just a few years after Soekarno...